Lovely Magics
by LanadelBeyoncePuncher
Summary: While facing off against an Enchanter, Cole finds himself on the wrong end of an infatuation spell. Love at first sight isn't always right, but perhaps it can lead to something even greater.
1. Chapter I

**Hip hip hooray, I went back to writing. First time writing something for Ninjago and Lavashipping so hopefully it's not terrible. There is an OC villain, but the story itself is not OC centric. I simply needed a more bendable villain than Lord Garmadon or the Serpents. Enjoy.**

* * *

_"In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present." -Francis Bacon_

* * *

Magicians aren't born, they're created. From the dust of the earth and the light in the stars rise creatures of might and magic and power unlike anything else in existence. Once loved and now hated by all, magicians have been driven to the edge of extinction...

"So, what'cha reading?" Jay's voice cuts through Lloyd's train of thought faster than a knife as the green ninja drops his book onto the floor.

"Jay! I was trying to read about magicians!" Lloyd grumbled as he picked up the book and creased back the pages which had been folded in his panic.

"Magicians?" Intrigued, the ninja of lightning dropped down from his upside down hang along one of the Bounty's support boards and onto the floor. "As in the 'abracadabra and poof you have doves' magicians?"

"Not exactly. These are magicians of legends. Ones who cast spells and hexes and healing, you know, the really powerful ones."

"Magic goes about as far as the elements with me," Jay shrugged before he took a seat beside the green ninja. He looked over the blond's shoulder at the pictures of a manly figure holding a mini universe in his hands.

Lloyd continues to read and points to the man absentmindedly. "He's the Enchanter. His legend says he controlled the universe like a toy and could bend the world around his will without a second thought. Dangerous, but neither good nor evil, he disappeared from existence millennia ago."

"Sheesh, talk about gone in a flash."

"Just be thankful he doesn't still exist, Jay. That Enchanter could probably wipe all of us out in mere seconds."

"Please, I could take that guy!"

"Oh yeah? You and what army?"

Jay huffed in irritation and shut the book Lloyd was reading before snatching it from the green ninja's hands. He leaped back from his spot beside the fellow ninja and waved the book around in the air.

"Jay, what the hell? I was reading that?" Lloyd snapped as he lunged for the book, only to miss and hit the wall behind Jay.

"Let's see...oh there's a magician who can turn water into gold! Interesting. Any who can make sandwiches appear from thin air?" The ninja of lightning teased with a cocky smile.

"Jay, cut it out! I find them really interesting, okay? Don't go making fun of them!"

"They're just myths, Lloyd. A fairy tale for small children! Enchanters and Magicians don't exist beyond cheap tricks and gimmicks," Jay claimed coldly as Lloyd spun around to face the quick ninja and leapt for his book.

"Just give it back, you asshole, you're going to rip it!" The green ninja snapped as he bolted for the book and stole it from the ninja of lightning's hands. Lloyd carefully tucked it away beneath his bed and glared back at Jay. "Why do you have to make fun of something even slightly educational that I like? Is everything a joke to you?!"

Jay scoffed and crossed his arms as if the insults didn't bother him at all. "Whatever. Dinner's ready so hurry up if you're going to eat." He informed the green ninja before leaving the shared bedroom and closing the door not too gently behind him.

Lloyd sighed and watched Jay go as he thought about the scathing words of his teacher. "They're not myths. I know they have to be out there somewhere..."

* * *

"Rise."

In a temple far from Ninjago, across the endless sea and seated on an island of black sand stood Lord Garmadon before a circle of white stones. Each one was perfectly round and patterned like the moon, surrounding a pit of sand much darker than the rest. Any attempts to touch the sand within the circle were futile as the endless abyss sucked in whatever it came into contact with and crushed it in seconds. However, should one read from a tome so ancient the language had long died out and spill a drop of evil blood into the pit, another reaction occurred. The black sand shuddered and shifted as the whole island gave a rumbling groan of response to Lord Garmadon's command.

A hand made of sand slowly breached the surface air and stretched towards the stone to wrap it's fingers around the side and pull. Another hand rose from the sand, then a mass of hair and the head of a very young man. The sand creature gasped as the head surfaced and it tasted air once again after so long buried in the sand. It thrashed and clawed at the ground until it's whole body was free of the sand and left to cough and shiver on all fours before Lord Garmadon. He tapped his foot impatiently as it slowly stood up and shook off all the sand to reveal a boy-like figure with ashen skin and moon white hair hiding behind eyes that twinkled like stars.

"You are the Enchanter, are you not?" Lord Garmadon asked the man. He thought the answer over before nodding once. "Good. You are to serve me as your master and do as I command. Is that understood?"

He nodded again before bowing to Lord Garmadon and standing up at attention.

"First order of business... Er... Put some clothes on."

The Enchanter blinked once before the sands of the island shifted to curl around his form before sliding off again. In their stead was a Victorian style suit of black silk with shimmering silver stitching along the collar and wrist cuffs. His undershirt was dyed a dark lilac and ruffled collar pale white to tie it together. Lord Garmadon ignored the immediate dress change for the moment.

"Yes, yes, whatever. Now, I need you to deal with a few ninja. Protectors of Ninjago?"

The Enchanter tilted his head to the side in a silent questioning gesture.

Lord Garmadon groaned and rubbed his temples with two of his four hands. "Don't tell me you have no idea who the ninja are."

"I..." He coughed a few times as a raspy and soft voice made it's way out past the man's lips. "I have been sleeping for a long, long time...Master. I know only of one ninja."

"Well take care of that one then! Take out the four elemental ninjas and make sure they cannot stand in my way! But leave the green one unharmed, do you understand?" He snapped back at the unwavering and barely blinking being.

"Yes, Master. I will see to it that they are stopped in one way or another," The Enchanter replied with another bow to Lord Garmadon.

"Good. Take me back to Ninjago. I have plans to work out and very little time to do so," He ordered.

The Enchanter nodded and blinked once before the two figures on the island of black sands disappeared into thin air.

* * *

"...And then I said, no, you're the mailman!"

The lunch table erupted into laughter as Jay finished off his joke with a cheeky grin. For Ninjago's protectors it seemed as though everything would go on without a hitch today. Of course, nothing ever goes as one plans.

"Boys, lunch time is cut short today, we have trouble in the city!" Nya shouted down to the others.

Dishes were left on the lunch table as the five ninjas hurried up the stairs and into the main control and steering room of the Bounty. Upon the wall monitor was video of the city scape of Ninjago in complete panic and chaos. Sheets of ice covered the streets and orbs of dark fire chased the helpless citizens around blocks and into buildings without stopping. At the center of the destruction stood three people dressed in black robes and each wielding a staff topped with a precious stone. Whenever someone ran by the trio, one if them held out their staff to cast another fireball spell on the poor citizen. For what they were worth, the police had attempted to fend off the attackers, but their bullets never reached the targets and almost all police squads ended up encased in a thick shell of ice.

"Yeesh, talk about big messes in small packages," Jay shivered at the mere image of the police getting trapped in ice.

"How did three people cause so much destruction in this amount of time?" Kai asked his sister who shrugged back.

"No one knows. They just...appeared and started to wreck the city without warning. Although, several people have claimed to see them walking towards a jeweler's store at the end of the street."

Zane looked back at the video feed with slight confusion. "All that chaos for jewels? It seems rather unnecessary, don't you think?"

"I don't think it's the jewels they're after. It's probably this," Nya replaced the video with an image of a small silver crown with amethyst jewels spread out along it's center ring.

"A crown? Is that really all they're after?" Cole grumbled as he thought about the lunch they could be having instead of needing to deal with chaotic criminals.

"Whatever reason they have for invading the city like that doesn't matter. It's go time, guys. We have to stop them." Kai declared as the other nodded in agreement and pulled their hoods down over their heads.

"Hang on everyone, I'll have you there in just a minute." Nya punched the Bounty's thrusters into full power as the ship have a single lurch and took off towards the chaotic inner city.

Arriving on scene of the current destruction in progress the ninja made quick work of getting to ground level to face off against the fireball and ice wielding trio who were almost to the jewelry shop. Kai led the team towards the shop and positioned them before the doors to the jewelry shop.

"Stop, you three! Leave this shop and the city in peace!" He demanded.

The trio blinked in surprise before laughing at the ninja that now stood before them. A cloaked man with a red jeweled staff stepped forward with a chuckle and pointed his weapon at Kai.

"Step aside, children. We have no business with you."

"That's what you think." Kai rushed forward as the leader shot off a fireball that dodged around Kai and smashed into the shop front.

The others jumped out of the way of the blast as glass and concrete went flying everywhere and scattered across the street. Cole quickly got to his feet as the other two opponents moved in on the downed squad.

"Zane, Jay! You two take care of the one on the left. Lloyd and I can take this one. Make sure Kai doesn't get himself into too much trouble, alright?" The leader ordered as he pulled out his scythe and took a swipe at the figure before him.

She, from the yelp of surprise she made, jumped back and swung her staff at Cole, shooting off a bolt of lightning that struck the scythe blade. The earth ninja almost dropped his weapon, but noticing it's electrified state he instead charged forward and spun the blade in a circle. It smacked the girl in the side and sent her flying. She shook with the force of the blow and her own electricity before dropping the staff and screaming in pain as her body melted away into nothing but dust. Cole and Lloyd simply stared in utter terror at the fate of the cloaked figure.

"Did I just...kill her?" Cole whispered as he slowly approached the pile of dust.

Lloyd slowly picked up the girl's weapon and looked it over. It was oddly familiar and the patterns seemed almost mystical in nature.

"I think I've seen this before. It's a magician's staff." He said quietly as he ran his hands along the etched surface.

"You know what that is?" The earth ninja jumped to Lloyd's side as the green ninja placed the staff down on the dust. The pile shuddered once before a hand materialized out of the dust and gripped the staff with a force so great it's knuckles turned white.

"What the hell...?" Cole shouted as he slid back into a fighting stance to counter the hand.

"No, no, it's fine. She never died, Cole. She's not real." Lloyd insisted as he grabbed the staff again and pulled it away. The pile sank back to dust and the green ninja nodded to his leader. "None of them are."

Jay's whoop of excitement interrupted the two as the wielder of lightning slammed his nunchucks into a poorly constructed shield of ice made by the second cloaked figure. Zane leapt left and then right to avoid two more blasts of ice which coated the street and building behind the white ninja. He threw his shuriken at the cloaked figure and nearly toppled over when he saw him collapse into dust as well.

"Woah, Jesus! Did you see that?" Jay hollered as he skidded to a halt beside the pile.

Cole sprinted over and kicked the staff away from the second dust pile. "Guys, they're not real! None of them are!" He said as Kai came flying through the air and landed with a hard smack up against the earth ninja.

Kai and Cole both tumbled back and groaned in pain as their bodies collided with the icy ground. The red ninja pressed his hands against the ground and slowly pushed himself back into his feet as Zane helped Cole onto his.

"They may not be real, but this one is packing a punch," Kai growled as he glared at the laughing man standing a few yards from him.

"I hear ya, man. What say you and I take this guy out once and for all?" Jay grinned and swung his nunchucks around in the air in anticipation for a battle.

"I'll take all of you on! It won't make a difference at all!" The cloaked man laughed as he shot off two fireballs at the ninjas.

Kai and Jay leapt out of the way of the fireballs, but failed to notice the man disappear in the flash of light each fireball produced as they exploded against the nearest building.

"What the-?"

"It's a ploy, he's going for the crown!" Zane shouted as he peeled from Cole's side to intercept the figure.

The man's fingers nearly closed around the crown as Zane's hand reached out and pushed the headdress from it's pedastal and onto the floor. The two glared at each other as nindroid and staff wielder pushed and shoved each other out of the way to grab the precious crown. Jay and Kai stood before the scene, unsure of how to intervene without losing the crown.

"Such petty little struggles. You humans are rather precious things, aren't you?" Lloyd and Cole both turned to the right as a chilling voice echoed out of the alleyway. Slow clapping filled the air as the Enchanter strode towards the two ninja with a knowing smirk.

The leader pulled out his scythe, ready for a battle, but Lloyd simply remained frozen in his spot as he watched the Enchanter walk towards them.

"N-no way...it-it can't be..." He whispered in fright as the white haired Enchanter stood before the ninja.

"Oh? It seems your little friend here knows me." He chuckled and twirled a lock of white hair between his fingertips.

"Lloyd, what's he talking about?" Cole questioned as he glanced over at his awestruck teammate.

"That's...that's the Enchanter. He's not supposed to be here!" The green ninja hissed back.

The Enchanter clicked his tongue and shook his head. "No, no, no, my dear boy. I am here. You're the green ninja, yes? Pity I can't just wipe you all off the face of the earth, but then Lord Garmadon would be rather mad at me."

"My father?! He's the one you're...but...I don't..." Lloyd stammered in confusion.

Cole grit his teeth and took off after the Enchanter. He had enough of all this nonsense, Enchanter or no this guy was going to pay for sending his underlings to wreck Ninjago!

"Cole, wait!" The green ninja shouted as the Enchanter laughed and held out his hand to form an energy shield. Cole's attack never got close as his scythe hit the shield and slid right off.

"Ninja-go!" The earth ninja shouted as he used his spinjitsu to attack the shield. Sparks flew off in a blaze as the Enchanter smirked at the attacking ninja. He never budged an inch. In one powerful push, the Enchanter forced Cole back with his shield and broke the ninja from his technique, leaving the leader dizzy and disarmed beside Lloyd.

"Cole, are you okay?" Lloyd kneeled down to help his teacher up when the Enchanter held up a pale pink spell sphere.

"I hate to cast and run, but I certainly don't want to be around when this takes effect. I cast upon you two a spell of infatuation. First person you lock eyes with shall become the one you most desire. Have fun, darlings." He laughed and hurtled the sphere in the ninjas direction as Lloyd held up his hands and attempted to shield himself and Cole. In his haste, he forgot to hold onto the earth ninja and only shielded himself. With a blast of pink energy the earth ninja was flung backwards and into a pillar of ice as his head collided with the hard surface. He slowly slid down the pillar and to the ground as darkness swarmed his vision.

"Cole! Cole...okay...? Cole!" Someone called out as the leader closed his eyes and slipped into the inviting darkness.


	2. Chapter II

_"Love is a temporary madness." -Louis de Bernieres_

* * *

The first thing Cole saw when he woke up was red. Not just any red, but the vibrant, red cloth of Kai's gi.

"Kai...?" Cole whispered softly as he slowly opened his eyes and blinked several times to clear his vision.

The moment Cole locked eyes with Kai something inside of him seemed to...tingle. It was small at first, like a tiny flame within the hearth of Cole's very being, but it soon began to spread and grow into an all consuming heart fire. Kai was the most beautiful thing Cole had ever seen in his life. The way his hair gently swished in the breeze and how his eyes searched Cole's for signs of response and consciousness sent the earth ninja's head into a flutter. Cole didn't want Kai looking so scared at the sight of him slumped over like a ragdoll, so against his better judgement Cole reached out and pulled the smaller ninja down against his chest in a tender embrace. At least, that's how Cole viewed it. Kai was very confused as to why Cole was hugging him, but after that scare he gave them all the red ninja figured Cole was simply glad to be alive.

"H-hey, it's okay Cole. You're safe now, awake as well. Let's head back to the Bounty so we can show Sensei the crown Zane won." Kai said as he slowly pulled away from Cole's grip. The earth ninja looked saddened at the loss of contact for a brief moment before he nodded and slowly got to his feet.

"Good idea. Maybe then we can figure out why those guys attacked. Did they all crumble?" Cole asked the others.

"Well... They did, but..." Jay trails off as Zane and Kai scan over the destroyed city sector.

"A man with white hair came out of nowhere and revived the figures again." The nindroid explained. "They disappeared before we could go after them, but at the very least we still have the crown they were after."

Cole sighed and shook his head with disappointment. All that effort just for the leader to revive them with what Cole guessed was little trouble at all. "At the very least we managed to keep the crown. Maybe we can figure out why they wanted it so badly. Until then, no one, and I mean no one is to put it on."

The team nodded in affirmation of their leader's orders as Nya guided the Bounty down through the narrow passage of buildings to retrieve the team on the broken ground. Not much else could be done for the city besides reconstruction and repair of the damaged surroundings. The ninjas were good, but even they couldn't speed up the recovery of a city after such a brutal attack. Once on board the Bounty, the team made their way through the narrow, wooden halls to the main briefing room. Zane rested the silver treasure on the table and took a step back for Sensei Wu so they old man could have more space to observe the coveted object before him. Sensei Wu looked over the curious crown and rubbed his age-old beard in deep thought as he reached out a hand to touch one of the darkened gems. As though the crown had burnt his flesh, the spinjitsu master reeled his hand away from the crown's jewels and frowned deeply at the object.

"This crown isn't what it seems at all. There is a dark magic within in, magic much more powerful than anything you or I could handle." The old man paused, gathered his composure once more and turned to his students. "I doubt even Lord Garmadon could wear this without suffering under it's power. Who was looking for this crown?"

Cole brushed past Jay in his haste to answer his teacher and glanced back in a brief apology. "Lloyd and I faced someone called...The Enchanter, I believe. He was able to make a forcefield that stood up to everything I could put out, including spinjitsu."

Sensei Wu appeared deeply troubled by Cole's news. "Impervious to spinjitsu? Lloyd, did you attempt to use your elemental magic to break the field?"

"I-Well, I..." Lloyd stammered as he thought back to the crippling fear of watching the Enchanter approach them with that all-knowing smirk. He had been scared. Not 'oh it's just a harmless fear you'll get over it', but the bone-chilling and heart gripping terror that had shocked the green ninja to his core.

"He was too fast, Lloyd couldn't keep up." Cole interjected as he flashed the green ninja a faint smile.

"That's all the more concerning, I'm afraid," With a quick flick of his staff, Sensei Wu pushed the crown across the table and into a safety deposit box made of steel which was quickly closed by Nya and locked up. "We mustn't let anyone take the crown. Until we know of a safe way to dispose of it, the crown shall stay locked away. You are all dismissed for now."

Each of the ninja nodded and bowed briefly to Sensei Wu before turning their attention to other duties around the Bounty. Zane walked towards the kitchen as Jay nipped at his heels about what the nindroid would be making for dinner. The ice ninja insisted that it would be nearly impossible to gather the supplies for a cake, which could be lit aflame and end up completely fine, within the span of time between training and dinner. Kai headed in the opposite direction to improve upon his spinjitsu form. Cole fumbled out a similar excuse, claiming he needed to make his spinjitsu stronger in order to fight back against the enchanter who had wiped out the earth ninja without breaking a sweat. Kai grinned at the idea of himself and Cole training together, unaware of the blush creeping along Cole's cheeks at the very same prospect. Lloyd waited patiently for the four elemental ninjas to leave before he approached his Sensei.

"What seems to be troubling you, Lloyd?" The old master asked kindly as he pressed a cup of tea into the young ninja's hands.

Lloyd stared into the tea's rippling surface as his reflection copied each move with a slightly blurred image. He lifted the cup to his lips and took a long sip of the hot drink before looking back on his wise teacher.

"Sensei, how accurate is the Book of Magicians?"

"Book of Magicians? Ah, so it was you who borrowed that book from the collection." He chuckled to himself and slowly sipped his own piping hot cup of tea. "That book was a gift from a traveller I helped out a long, long time ago. He claimed it was a guide to fighting off the immortal threat when the time came, but I doubt he was very serious about it."

"And... If I said that the man who's after the crown is one of those immortals?"

"That all depends on which immortal he may be. Can you get the Book of Magicians and show me?" Lloyd nodded and nearly sprinted through the halls of the Bounty, past Jay who was still attempting to coerce Zane to bake him a cake, and into the shared bedroom of all the ninja. He slid down on his knees to the end of the bed and reached beneath the wooden frame to search for the Book of Magicians. Well-worn leather met Lloyd's fingertips and the ninja grinned as his hand closed around the spine of the book, pulling it from beneath the underbelly of his bed. He clutched the book close to his chest and took off down the hall once more, feet thumping against the wooden paneling as the ninja forewent any attempts to be quiet in favor of rushing the book back to Sensei Wu. The moment Lloyd stepped into the room, he pivoted on his foot and stopped mere inches from the wooden table's edge, setting the book down for the master to see. With a careful hand, Lloyd opened the ancient book to the page with the pale, painted Enchanter observing the universe below him. The likeness between the two men was uncanny as both had white hair and the same darkened eyes which sucked in light as though they're were nothing more than black holes.

"Him. He... Looked more human, but this is him. The Enchanter." Lloyd stammered hoarsely as his throat clammed up at the mere sight of the man. His power was legendary and the myths surrounding his being, if true, meant the end of them all.

Sensei Wu's brow creased in great fear as he scanned the page's text on the Enchanter. "If this man really is the same as the one in this book, I implore you stay away from him. Until we can find a weakness, do not seek out the Enchanter. Tell the others, Lloyd. This man is not to be trusted.

* * *

"So, what was it like to face that weird magician guy?" On the floor in a split-legged position, Kai stretched out his arms to hold onto his foot for a deep leg and back stretch.

"Not exactly thrilling. It wasn't natural the way he just... Stood there without doing anything at all." Cole muttered as he copied Kai's stretch, sitting across from his friend on the training room floor. From here, he could see the fire ninja's muscles pulled taut and firm as he stretched himself out. Kai was so flexible in both combat and in everyday life, Cole couldn't help but wonder if he was also flexible in b-

"Hello? Earth to Cole!" Kai snickered at his own joke, snapping his fingers several times in front of the earth ninja's face to break him from his thoughtful trance. "You're spacing out on me again. Anything on your mind? Or are you just grumpy because you lost a battle?"

"I am not grumpy." Cole huffed indignantly as he slowly sat up and crossed his arms in a rather childish act of disobedience.

"Says the guy pouting like a five year old. Come on, let's get moving. I want to get this done before Zane calls everyone in for dinner."

Cole groaned in protest, but allowed himself to be hoisted onto his feet by Kai. The red ninja was always so considerate of his friends, wasn't he? Perhaps because of his inner flame Kai had the urge to ignite a similar one in everyone else and raise their spirits. It certainly wouldn't be above the protective and hell bent ninja to pursue the passion of others. Maybe that's why Cole continued to see Kai as something more than simply a friend. Friend, brother, love interest? No, no, he couldn't possibly assume that of Kai. They may be friends, but that doesn't mean that Cole can push the line of friendship into the rough and uncharted territory of relationships. It might never work out and he could lose Kai's friendship forever over such a clumsy little mistake. Even if it pained him, Cole had to hold back and contain his feelings despite the pressure on his heart to come forth with them.

All the thoughts in the world couldn't protect Cole from a roundhouse kick from Kai that buried itself in the earth ninja's side and drove him sideways into the floor.

"Fuck, Cole! Sorry, sorry, I didn't notice you weren't ready!" Kai spluttered as he rushed over and knelt down beside his friend, checking him over for any fatal injuries.

"No... Shit... God, Kai, did you have to kick so hard?" Cole coughed as he slowly managed to sit up with one hand placed gingerly over his side.

"I was just trying to get you to block and I just-"

"Hey, hot-head, shut up for a second." Cole interrupted as he offered a cheeky little smile and rested his hand on the slope of Kai's shoulder. "I'm not dead, just bruised. Powers of the earth probably made your foot hurt more than my side."

The red ninja nodded and glanced from Cole's side to the hand on his shoulder. "Yeah, it did hurt pretty bad..."

"That's your own fault, dumbass." Cole chuckled as he moved his right hand from Kai's shoulder to his head. He ruffled the ninja's already unruly and messy hair, grinning as Kai attempted to push the earth ninja away.

"Cole! Come on, quit it! You're going to mess up my hair!"

"As if it's not messed up enough?" He laughed and leapt onto his feet, surprising Kai who flopped backwards and kicked Cole in the shins. The earth ninja took another tumble, slamming his arms down on either side of Kai's head to to stop himself from collapsing on top of his friend. "Sometimes, I wish you weren't so good at fighting." Cole muttered as he stared into the fire ninja's eyes.

"I have to be at my best, you know..." Kai's voice slowly tapered off as he stared back at Cole, vaguely realizing that the earth ninja had yet to stand back up. The two simply waited in deafening silence as Cole seemed to search Kai's face for something, perhaps a sign of approval or irritation for keeping him pinned for so long, but neither one came to surface. Only confusion was evident as Kai broke eye contact and chuckled nervously under the scrutiny of Cole's gaze. "Cole, are you...okay? You're spacing out a lot and it's starting to freak me out."

"Huh? Oh, sorry." He apologized, quickly pushing himself back onto his feet and into a more solid fighting stance. "We'll do this for real this time."

Kai grinned and nodded with newfound excitement as he jumped to attention. He shifted his weight back to his right foot, narrowed his focus on Cole's arms, and took a single step before launching his foot out in another kick towards the earth ninja's stomach. This time, Cole was focused on the fight ahead and blocked Kai's kick with a downward arm before twisting around and throwing out a punch. It was dodged by Kai who stepped back with each one Cole threw his way until the fire ninja hit the wooden wall of the training room. Kai ducked beneath Cole's next punch and rolled back out into open space to retaliate with a punch of his own. Their hand-to-hand combat continued on until both ninja grabbed their weapons and broke into full out spinjitsu with Kai focusing his inner fire on a more precise form and Cole channeling the earth energy within him to strengthen his attack. Sparks flew from each tornado as the powers clashed in a fierce battle of supremacy, never ceasing until either one had fallen. Slowly, each spinjitsu tornado slowly ran out until Cole and Kai were left on opposite ends of the training room with shortened breath and trembling arms.

"Your... Form looked really good, Kai. It certainly helped your power flow."

"T-thanks... Yours was..." Kai's shaking voice trailed off as the ninja took a step forward with a trembling foot and nearly collapsed on himself.

"Kai!" Cole shouted as he raced towards the stumbling man, clutching Kai's arms as the ninja collapsed into Cole.

"Shit... You're... A lot stronger than you look..."

The leader sighed and held Kai close as both of them struggled to catch their breath. "Idiot." He whispered, but there was hardly any of the usual reprimanding tone in his voice. How the hot headed man managed to survive this long as a ninja was still an oddity to Cole who had always thought more careful actions were the best solution. Yet in came this rookie who let his emotions better himself, but always placed the ideas and feelings of others before his own. Kai was a bit of a idiot, yes, but he was a powerful and caring idiot that Cole couldn't help being drawn into. He held the ninja closer, resting his forehead against Kai's shoulder, soaking in the simple warmth from the smaller man's body.

"Cole... You're... Hugging me again." Kai hesitantly patted the earth ninja's back, feeling oddly comfortable this position. "Is this some kind of game Jay put up you to? It's pretty, uh...odd."

Shit. Cole immediately let go of Kai and rubbed the back of his neck with a sweaty palm. He hoped his face wasn't as red as it felt. "S-sorry... It's uh... A..."

Thankfully, Lloyd bounded into the room before Cole had to continue explaining his actions to Kai. "Hey, guys. Sensei says to stay away from the Enchanter, okay?"

"Huh? Oh, sure thing." Kai looked over his shoulder at the green ninja's sudden presence, but shrugged off the simple warning.

"Also, Zane says dinner will be done soon. Just to let you two know." Lloyd walks off without another word, leaving Cole thinking about the battle with the white haired man, and Kai pondering over dinner.

"I... I have to go talk to Zane. I'll see you later." Cole stammered abruptly, striding past Kai to catch up with Lloyd and make his way to the kitchen.

"All... Right? I guess I'll see you later, then." Kai's voice trailed off as the training room emptied, leaving a confused and curious ninja behind. Something was up with Cole, he just wasn't sure of what it could be.

* * *

**Chapter two is here. Hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it.**


	3. Chapter III

_**The devil can sometimes do a very gentlemanly thing." -Robert Louis Stevenson**_

* * *

Catching up to Lloyd was easy. Explaining why he was suddenly so apt to leave training with Kai was another story

"I thought you guys were going to train until dinner?" The green ninja paused as Cole's footsteps thudded heavily on the floor behind him, a sound known only because of the blindfold training Lloyd received.

"I-I needed to talk to Zane. Before dinner," Cole clarified as he shifted his weight back and forth nervously.

Thinking nothing of it, Lloyd shrugged and stepped aside for his teacher. "Go ahead of me, then. Zane needs saved from Jay before he decides that none of us get dinner."

With a quick nod, Cole brushed past Lloyd and walked into the kitchen area where Jay hung from Zane's waist as the ice ninja attempted to push his friend off./

"Jay, please! You are not helping me here!" Zane begged as he swatted at the lightning ninja's head with a slotted spoon.

"Need help?" The leader smirked and gestured to the chef's precarious position. Zane immediately nodded to Cole who, in turn, grabbed Jay by the back of his gi and lifted the man into the air. Startled, Jay released his hold on Zane's waist and flailed around in the air until he was dropped on his ass none too kindly.

"Ow! Cole!" Jay whined as he rubbed his lower back.

"Don't go messing around with our cook, Jay. We all know his meals are better than mine."

"Probably more edible as well..." the lightning ninja muttered as he rose onto his feet once again. Cole shot the man a cold stare to rival Zane's ice spinjitsu and had Jay running for the hills in no time at all.

"Zane sighed with relief and patted Cole's right shoulder. "Thank you my friend. Jay can be...overbearing sometimes."

"Hey, no big deal, Zane. Although, if it's not too much trouble can I ask for a favor?"

"Of course." He replied with a smile, tying on his cooking apron. "What do you need?"

* * *

Everyone on the Bounty assembled in an orderly fashion for dinner, eager for Zane's excellent cooking. Hardly anyone really dared to cook beside the talented nindroid in case the 'Violet Berry Stew' incident reared it's head again. No one would blame Cole outright, but the feeling still lingered behind the mention of it. Despite the delay between training and Jay's pestering of the chef, Zane managed to cook dinner in time to serve it up once all Bounty members had been seated.

"I apologize for the short wait. Tonight I made Kai's favorite at the request of Cole. Enjoy." The nindroid smiled to the table and took a seat with everyone else. A few seconds of stunned silence ticked by as Kai turned towards the earth ninja beside him.

"So... You got Zane to make my favorites," Kai commented slowly as Cole replied with a silent and embarrassed nod. "That's not like you Cole, are you really sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," he quipped with a cold tone. His hands clenched tightly in the black fabric of his pants as the earth ninja did his best to remain calm. Snapping at Zane for including that fact that it was him who asked for Kai's favorites to be made wouldn't go over well at all. Cole had hoped his efforts would get him at least a little closer to Kai, but they only served to increase the distance between them. Maybe if he-

"Cole? You in there, buddy?" Jay halted Cole's train of thought in mere seconds, alerting him to the six pairs of eyes all trained on him.

"I have to go. Thank you for the meal." Wasting no time at all, Cole practically tore himself from the table and sprinted down the hall.

In his mind, Cole could feel something seeping through his thoughts and feelings, twisting them around into an overpowering tidal wave of affection aimed towards Kai. For a brief moment he knew these feelings weren't his own, but some kind of a stronger force taking control of his feelings. The feeling quickly passed, leaving Cole briefly stunned as he slowed to a halt in the now dark, empty training room. Behind him, the quiet patter of footsteps echoed in the wooden halls of the Bounty as Kai entered the training room behind Cole.

"Cole I-I'm sorry for pointing out all the...odd things that have been going on lately. Is there something you want to tell me or-?"Kai never finished his sentence as Cole spun on his heels and practically slammed the smaller man up against the training room wall. In a rush of dominance, Cole clamped his hands down on the fire ninja's arms and pressed his lips against Kai's in a bruising kiss. Kai burned as though his body was made of smoldering embers, lips tasting of ashes and hot spices Zane had used in his cooking. Cole pulled back for a moment, panting with shallow breath as he grinned, something wicked and possessive and not at all like the man Kai had come to know. It frightened Kai. Opening his mouth to protest, the fire ninja never made it past the first few syllables of Cole's name before being shoved up against the wall again, arms in pain from the sheer force from the leader's grip as he was kissed again. Kai's back ached in protest of the harsh treatment before he decided enough was enough and kicked the leader's shin as hard as he could. The pain jolted Cole from his lust induced haze, who then pulled back from his dominating kiss in shock and stared at Kai. Both ninja stood stone-still as Cole slowly released Kai's arms, blinking back tears while the realization of what he had just done gnawed at his heart.

"Kai, I..." Barely a whisper, Cole rested his head on the training room wall, shaken with guilt. "I'm sorry."

Without another word, the earth ninja took off, slipping out of the ship and onto the rooftop of the building where Nya had parked the ship for the evening. Cole refused to look back or even acknowledge Kai's presence as he fled the Bounty and safety of Ninjago city. He couldn't make an excuse for his actions this time. No one would believe Cole had lost control of himself as he, what? Pinned Kai down and forced himself on his friend? His brother? He could never show his face to Sensei Wu or the others unless disgust and distrust was what Cole desired. Cityscape melted away in the evening sun with dry outcroppings of sandstone and crusted earth rising to fill their spaces. Alone and freezing in the desert, Cole shuddered as a bitter, dry wind swept across his body, taking slow steps across the barren earth and into a dark cave. He eased his way along the wall until the wind could no longer reach him and light from outside dimmed down to practically nothing. Surrounded by his element and isolated from everyone else, Cole allowed himself to relax against the damp, stone walls of his temporary home as the wind howled outside the mouth of the cave. Now, he figured, he was no longer a threat to anyone ever again.

* * *

"He just left? Why the hell would he just leave?"

Kai flinched a little as Jay's fingers brushed over his bruised, but hidden skin. Should he tell the others about what Cole did besides leaving the Bounty? On one hand, Cole was one of his best friends and reporting his odd behavior might cause mistrust among the team. But on the other hand, Cole had been acting strange ever since they returned to the Bounty. Maybe Sensei Wu would know why their leader was acting so...not like himself.

"I don't know... But he did, um... He..." Kai stumbled over his words as his cheeks reddened at the memory of Cole's lips dominating his own.

"He did what?" Nya gently patted Kai's back in the hopes her sisterly charms could coax the answer from her brother.

"Kissed me."

The ice ninja stepped forward, blinking in surprise. "He...kissed you? I do not understand. I thought couples were the only people who-"

"Wait, you mean Cole's gay?!"

Zane frowned at Jay's rude interruption before looking around the room at the others' reactions. It was odd to see Sensei Wu look so surprised or for Nya to suddenly hug Kai and ramble on about 'still loving her brother' as the ninja of fire attempted to escape his sister's clutches. Only Lloyd appeared to be the most calm, almost contemplative, as he looked down at his hands. Taking the moment of chaos circled around Kai as a distraction for the others, Zane crossed the threshold of the Bounty training room and tapped Lloyd on the shoulder.

"Yes?" He looked to the right to greet Zane, tilting his head a little in a curious manner.

"You do not seem surprised that Cole has affectionately kissed Kai. Why is that?"

"I don't...think Kai meant it like that but, uh... Well, I think I might know why he's been acting weird," Lloyd attempted to explain Kai's words to Zane, but decided the conversation was best left to another day.

"You do?"

He nodded. "You remember the Enchanter, right? Tall guy, white hair, practically untouchable and able to revive his little sand people."

"Of course. You called us over because Cole had been struck down and had not yet woken up."

"Yeah, that. Well... The spell thing we were hit by wasn't just any spell. It's a little hard to remember the exact words, but that guy said something along the lines of 'whoever you first look at will be the one you most desire' or something close to that." The green ninja shrugged.

"You two were to desire whoever you first looked at? That does not make sense since you have not shown any of those kinds of behaviors towards Jay."

"Hey, easy on the creeping, Zane."

Zane shook his head before tapping Lloyd's head. "It does not make sense, Lloyd. If you two were both struck, you should also be showing the same behavior."

Lloyd batted the offending arm away and peeked back at Kai and the others. "I... I wasn't hit. I shielded myself before the spell reached me. I tried to protect Cole as well, but I let go of him and it didn't exactly work all the way..."

"You were able to fend off the Enchanter? Lloyd this is good news! Perhaps next time he appears, you can use spinjitsu against him and defeat the man."

"No! Zane, that's bad!" Lloyd shook his head in dismay. "The Enchanter is a god. He's way stronger than all of us combined. I doubt any kind of spinjitsu would work against him, even if we all had golden weapons."

"Then, is there nothing we can do to reverse the spell?"

"Spell? What spell?" Sensei Wu interjected as he strode to the two ninja chatting in the corner.

"The spell of desire that Cole was placed under by the Enchanter," Zane answered almost instantly, despite Lloyd's desperate attempts to signal the nindroid to keep quiet. The spinjitsu master directed his attention to Lloyd, raising an eyebrow in question, then back to Kai.

"Lloyd, how long have you known that Cole was under the influence of a spell?"

"Not long, Sensei, honestly. I forgot there even was a spell until Cole started acting really... Uh, touchy."Sensei Wu nodded, stroking his beard in thought as the others walked over to join in on their conversation.

"I am afraid all is not how it seems to be, friends. It seems Cole was not at fault for his actions, for he has been under a spell of desires for some time now." Zane quickly filled the others in. Kai shook his head, thinking back to how Cole seemed to be snapping in and out of thought, and elbowed Jay in the side.

"See? I told you." He scoffed.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Jay waved his hand flippantly and rolled his eyes. "Seriously, though, anyone know how to reverse this spell?"A hush fell over the small group as they all looked to one another for answers, but stopped short of anything solid. Slowly, Lloyd raised his hand and waited for Sensei to call on him.

"Yes, Lloyd?"

"I think I know someone who can. Although, no one is going to like it."

* * *

"Dear me, it seems little Cole has run away from home. Pity."

From the entrance of his isolated cave a devilish voice floated past Cole's ears. Crouched in a fetal position, the earth ninja snapped to attention as the crunch of earth beneath polished leather shoes filled the air, and broke the silence within the man's vicinity. The Enchanter, radiating a very slight silvery glow, strode towards Cole with a wide smirk, and stopped just before the man.

"My dear earthen darling, it seems you have a little problem. Mind if I make it all better?"

* * *

**Apologies for the long wait. I actually left for a cruise and had no internet services the whole time, haha. However, I bring you a new chapter and the assurance of a quick update to make up for the time lost. The Enchanter is a character of my own design and I hope he's not too terribly imposing over the other characters. All others belong to The Hageman Brothers. Thank you all for your support! Next chapter to be up on a regular schedule.**


	4. Chapter IV

**_"Black as the devil, hot as hell, pure as an angel, sweet as love." - Charles Maurice de Talleyrand_**

* * *

"What do you want?" Cole snapped at the Enchanter who now stood a few feet from his current position on the floor of his cave.

"I told you, I want to help." He smirked and twirled a lock of white hair between his fingers with his left hand. "You're quite smitten with someone, aren't you? It's driving you absolutely mad."

"Shut up!" Cole leapt to his feet and pulled out his scythe, spinning it around in his hand, before blindly swiping at the Enchanter, only to hit the nearest cave wall.

"My, my. Someone's crabby today."

With another spin, Cole slashed into the darkness again and came up empty, the Enchanter's hands brushing along his unruly hair with a teasing ruffle before vanishing again. Enraged, the leader spun into his spinjitsu move, light from his small tornado illuminating cave walls and a very cocky Enchanter. With a single hand the white-haired Enchanter formed a shield of energy around himself and watched in amusement as Cole's attacks slid off with a shower of sparks.

"You can't hit me. It's just like before your spinjitsu isn't-"

A cracking sound cut the Enchanter's speech to silence as Cole's spinjitsu burst through the protective bubble and up against the Enchanter himself. He yelped in surprise and ducked out of the way of Cole's scythe, but not before a thin cut was drawn across the Enchanter's abdomen. The white haired man regained his stance in seconds before throwing a ball of electricity at Cole to stop his spinjitsu. A scream of agony whirled around the cave as the earth ninja dropped to his knees and then the floor of the cave, unconscious but no worse for wear. The Enchanter hissed beneath his breath as he staggered back to the nearest wall, slouching against it's cold, moist surface, and pressed his left hand down on the bleeding cut. White blood oozed between his slender fingers and stained the floor a pale tan as the Enchanter narrowed his eyes at Cole.

"So... You've gotten stronger. No matter. I won't make the same mistake twice." Wind whistled through the cave opening, swallowing the Enchanter whole, and leaving behind only a fading patch of tanned earth where the being had once stood.

* * *

This was the dumbest plan Jay had ever heard in a long time. Which was saying something since dumb plans were his forte. Lloyd, however, had gone off the deep end with 'plans that may or may not work' by suggesting they call upon the _Enchanter _who cast the spell upon Cole in the first place. Sure, Lloyd had a fifty-fifty chance to fight back against the guy before he could strengthen his defenses, but to ask a villain for help? The ninja were nearing the brink of desperation to call upon a stuck-up, cocky ass god for help.

"Lloyd. This isn't going to work at all." Jay insisted heavily as the group stood a few miles from the outskirts of Ninjago city. After a long round of debating between Lloyd and the others, they had decided to attempt a wayward idea of contacting the Enchanter for help. Granted, it could always come back to haunt them if the guy decided to attack instead of hear them out, but after countless ideas and nothing better to attempt it was decided they try Lloyd's plan.

"You don't know that. We haven't even tried." He scoffed and flipped through pages of the Magicians handbook before settling on the Enchanter's page. Jay peered over Lloyd's shoulder at the page he vaguely recalled seeing before and frowned at the text.

"Where's the magic words to summon this asshole?"

"I'm looking!" The green ninja snapped and spun away from Jay, running a hand along the page to crease it back down before continuing his search. "It says something about the mention of his name will 'bring the being from his haven' but I can't seem to find anything listed here besides 'The Enchanter' and that's- why are you all staring at me?"

"Not to alarm you Lloyd, but it appears you were successful in summoning the Enchanter." Zane informs him quietly as a thin, pale hand clasps Lloyd's shoulder.

"Hello, darling. You called?" The Enchanter chuckled. In a whirl of confusion and panic, Lloyd whipped around and punched the being right in his face, watching as white blood spilled from the Enchanter's nose and onto the ground. A vicious snarl ripped from the Enchanter's lips as he stumbled back and grasped at his bloody appendage. "That… Hurt quite badly. Was punching me in the face really necessary?"

"You're the one who appeared out of nowhere!" Lloyd snapped back before taking a deep breath to calm his frazzled nerves. "I wanted to ask something of you."

The Enchanter laughed as he pulled his hand away, repaired nose now free of blood or signs of injury, and cocked his head to the side. "Oh? Have the little heroes come for help?"

"Don't get used to it, pal. It's just once." Jay stepped forward, only to have Nya tug him back with Zane, Kai, and Sensei Wu while Lloyd confronted the Enchanter.

Ignoring Jay's comment, Lloyd straightened up to address the being before him. "We want Cole free of that infatuation spell."

"That spell? Wasn't it supposed to affect both of you?" The Enchanter blinked in surprise, straightening his jacket a little, and glancing between Lloyd and the others. "So who's the lucky doll Cole got attached to?" With a smirk he caught a shy and fleeting glance from Kai before the ninja looked away in a rather rushed manner. "Little Red Riding Hood, I see. How did that go over for you?"

"Y-You weren't even there!" Kai stammered, face bright red with embarrassment.

"No, but I know what the spell does since I cast it. I don't know your little Cole like you all do, but the spell is progressive. It starts out with a light attraction, something like being more friendly or touchy, then it moves to a more intense and overpowering infatuation. You think of the other person constantly, almost to a fault, and then we get to the last phase. It's my favorite part." The Enchanter chuckled and waved his hand, a black rose appearing in his gloved hand out of nowhere. "The infatuation becomes a very possessive addiction. A threatening loss of control that overpowers the affected host mind and makes them a slave to raw lust. Considering the state I found your little darling in earlier, I'd have to say that he's nearly to that phase."

"You found Cole?!" Kai rushed forward to stand beside Lloyd as the Enchanter smirked at the desperate man. "Where is he?"

"Hiding from you, I assume. He seems to be taking the spell rather harshly. If he stays separated from you for too long he may just die of a suffering heart." The white haired man chuckled and crushed the head of the rose in his fist, unfurling his fingers to watch the petals crumple in the wind.

"Remove the spell." The red ninja demanded as he drew his sword and pointed the glinting blade at the Enchanter.

"You're going to threaten me with a toothpick until I make things better for you?" He teased with a sly smirk before touching the blade with his fingertip and smirking with satisfaction when the metal melted into nothing but a pile of hot sludge at Kai's feet. "You'll find I don't work that way, Little Red."

"Then what do you want?" Lloyd asked the Enchanter to pull the attention away from useless fighting. Intrigued, the being shoved Kai away and stepped closer to Lloyd, circling the smaller man like a bird of prey that had just captured a mouse.

"What do I want? I want my crown back. That's right." He paused and pointed to Sensei Wu. "The one you touched, the very priceless artifact your little ninjas stole from me. I had worked so hard for my lovely followers to gather it up, but you simply had to interrupt us."

"That crown is far beyond anyone's power, even your own." The spinjitsu master insisted firmly, but only received a mocking laugh from the Enchanter.

"Who do you think made that crown? Who could possibly have that much power in all of Ninjago? News flash, lovelies, the crown belongs to me."

"You're not getting it, so stop whining about it!" Jay shouted out, unaware of the dark look the Enchanter took on after those words.

"Oh? Is that so? I could always take it by force. I don't need you little mortals standing in my way." His voice was even, but cold as the white haired man shifted with lightning fast speed and grabbed Lloyd by the neck, lifting the man high in the air and squeezing down on his windpipe. Panicked, Lloyd clawed at the sleeves of the Enchanter's suit jacket, but it did little to affect the being in any way at all. All three elemental ninja leapt for the Enchanter, Jay swinging his nunchucks and Zane ready to throw his stars as Kai leapt for a punch to the being's face again. None of the attacks ever made contact, the Enchanter simply raised a barrier before any of the three ninja could get anywhere close to him and Lloyd. With a cruel laugh, the white haired Enchanter tightened his grip on Lloyd's neck, making the green ninja choke and tremble with lack of oxygen to his brain. "If you don't want anymore dead disciples, Sensei, I suggest you hand over the crown before I revoke my deal altogether. At the very least, you can still get Cole's spell removed and your precious little Lloyd alive. What do you say? Do we have a deal?"

"Sensei, don't-!"

"That's enough, all of you! Stand down!" Sensei Wu ordered the attacking ninja, freezing the students in place as they turned to address their teacher. Zane was the first to set his weapons aside, then Jay, and finally Kai who let his fists drop seeing the Enchanter had no intention of letting Lloyd go until all three had given up the fight.

With a smirk the white haired man relaxed his grip and let Lloyd slip through his fingers, watching the boy hit the ground and wheeze with painstaking breaths for live giving air. "That's better." He pressed the heel of his leather, laced up boots against Lloyd's head, pinning the green ninja against the ground. "Now bring me my crown. I'd really hate to stain my boots with blood."

"Nya, retrieve the crown box for me. Take your brother with you. Jay and Zane will stay with me until you return. Do make haste."

Nya nodded to Sensei Wu and grabbed her brother's arm to drag him away from the smirking Enchanter. "Come on, Kai. Let's just hurry this up so he'll leave all of us alone."

* * *

_"Love... Love... Love..."_

_"You're quite smitten with someone, aren't you?"_

_"Kai..."_

_"I want to help." _

_"I love..."_

_"Cole."_

A sharp pain crackled through the earth ninja's heart and mind, waking him from unconsciousness in the darkened cave he had sought refuge in. Sitting up slowly, Cole coughed as his chest trembled with aftershocks of Claudius' attack and the burning longing to see Kai again. It was more painful than anything the leader had felt before, including the brief electrocution from one Enchanter. His heart beat rapidly against his chest as every organ within himself shuddered.

"Kai... Help..." Cole breathed with constricting lungs as the earth around him swelled with pain. Sending the distress of the earth-aligned ninja, the ground began to shift beneath him until the ninja was being carried towards the direction of the Bounty.

Cole's shuddering body made it about halfway to his goal before a flash of light and black sand wrapped around the ninja's figure; swallowing him whole. A twisting, turning, burning sensation filled the dark haired man's body vanished into thin air and was deposited none too gently onto the cold ground just outside of Ninjago city's boundaries. Several gasps of surprise cut through the silent air as Cole rose to his knees on shaking limbs.

"See? I brought him back in once piece. Now, I'd like that crown before I do anything else. Can't fulfill all of my bargain before you take one step towards yours." The Enchanter demanded coldly as he held out his hand to Sensei Wu. Granted, Lloyd was still pinned beneath the God's foot, and that in itself presented a dangerous position for the ninjas to be in. Despite the hesitance to return the artifact of dark power, Sensei Wu handed over the crown's containment box to the white haired God which was checked for the item and then promptly teleported away. "Good, good. That wasn't so hard, was it?" The white haired man chuckled.

"We held up our part of the deal," Kai pushed his way past Zane and Jay, staring down the Enchanter without hesitation. "Now you keep yours. Remove the spell and let Lloyd go."

The Enchanter waved his gloved hand around in the air with a sigh. "I understood the deal, calm yourself, Little Red." He pointed a finger at Cole as a white cloud of magic surrounded the man and lifted him into the air, suspending the earth ninja a few feet from the ground. Slowly, the god beckoned something from Cole's body and watched the ninja scream in pain as a stream of pink magic slipped past the afflicted man's lips. It became one with the Enchanter again, fizzling out with a hiss until Cole ceased screaming altogether. The white magic faded and the dark haired ninja dropped to the ground without a sound, exhausted but alive.

"Cole!" Kai shouted as he rushed to his friend's side and dropped to his knees. He pressed two fingers against Cole's neck until a faint pulse pumped past his fingers indicating that the man was indeed alive. "Thank god, he's alive!"

"Of course he is. Don't sound so surprised." The Enchanter huffed and pulled his boot off Lloyd's head, taking a step back from the reunited group. "I'll see you lovelies in the future. Ta-ta now." In the blink of an eye the Enchanter vanished with a swirl of black sand, leaving nothing behind but the crumpled rose petals he had crushed before.

With the overbearing god gone, Zane and Jay rushed over to help Lloyd onto his feet as Nya and Sensei Wu hurried to Kai's side where the fire ninja was attempting to awaken his unconscious friend.

"Cole? Cole, come on. Wake up, buddy, it's over." Kai said softly as he shook Cole's shoulder.

With a groan, Cole slowly opened his eyes and blinked in confusion. His head felt as though it were clogged with molasses and the world around him was still spinning oddly. Kai's voice was muffled, but the ninja of earth could hear the worry and concern lacing each segment.

"Kai...?" Hardly a whisper from Cole's strained voice, but the fire ninja heard it all the same.

"You're awake!" He grinned back at Cole before a hand was shoved rudely into his face.

"...dude, shut up. I feel like I haven't slept in days." Cole grunted as he closed his eyes again.

"Well, you were under the influence of some kind of spell." Nya spoke up from her brother's side. Kai pried Cole's hand away from his face and rubbed the somewhat hurting area, scowling at his sister.

"We're just glad to have you back with us, Cole." Sensei Wu said with a kind smile.

"Sorry, Sensei. I shouldn't have tried to do... any of what I did to Kai."

Several heads turned with surprise towards Cole, including Zane and Jay who were now helping a bleeding Lloyd to his feet.

"You remember the time under the spell, then." Sensei Wu stroked his beard thoughtfully as he gazed upon Cole with an unreadable expression.

Cole nodded once as a feeling of guilt and shame filled the aching gaps in his heart. While he remembered most of the time under the spell, he couldn't remember how he ended up in the outskirts or back with the others again. A pause in all conversation settled over the group as the weight of Cole's actions bogged down everyone's minds.

It was Jay who broke the tense silence with a simple question. "But, he's not under the spell anymore, doesn't that mean he's alright?"

"Isn't that something we should talk about on the Bounty and not out in the middle of nowhere?" Lloyd cut in, wiping blood from his nose with a scowl. "It's freezing and we're all tired from getting kicked around by the Enchanter."

"Lloyd's right. It's best to re-group for now and discuss matters further tomorrow." Sensei Wu nodded in agreement and motioned for the group of ninja to follow him back to the Bounty.

Kai held out a hand to Cole with a slight smile. "You can still walk back, right?"

Cole looked at his hand wearily, still feeling the affects of that spell on his body, but mentally shut the pain away and took Kai's hand to help him stand. He was shaking a little, but Nya held onto his other arm and helped the earth ninja to keep himself steady on his feet. Despite the fact that the Enchanter had kept his word and removed the awful infatuation spell, Cole couldn't help but wonder why he still felt his heart skip a beat when Kai offered him his hand.


End file.
